Joseph s



NEEDLE CASE.

Patented Jan. 15

N. PETERS Fhulo-blhogrnplwr. washin m. D4 C.

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j' llwirnn STATES PATENT @FFMEQ JOSEPH S.

SACKETT, OF NE\V HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO JANEHALLIVELL, OF SAME PLACE.

NEEDLE-CASE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 292,059, dated January15, 1884.,

I Application filed May 31,1853. (No model.)

:0 all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, JosEPH S. SACKETT, ofNew Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new Improvement in a Sewing-Machine Needle-Case; and I dohereby declare the following, when taken in connection withaccompanyingdrawings and the letters of referencemarked thereon, to bea full, clear,and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute apart of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure 1, a face view; Fig. 2, a rear view; Fig. 3, a transversesection; Fig. 4c, avertical central section Fig. 5, an inside view ofthe case detached from the base; Fig. 6, the case opened, exposing theneedles.

This invention relates to an improvement in cases for holding needlesand like articles, designed with special reference to sewing-machineuses, the object of the invention being the construction of a case whichmay be readily attached to the table at any convenient point. as forinstance upon the under side of the table, or upon the inside of thefront of the drawer so as to be turned up from its closed or normalposition and expose the needles, butwhen turned into its closedcondition will cover and protect the needles which it contains; and theinvention consists in the construction as hereinafter described, andmore particularly recited in the claims.

My improved case is best made from sheet metal, and consists of abase-plate A,which is flat, except at its upper end,where it is turnedforward to form a U-shaped flange, a, as seen in Fig. 4. The case B isalso formed from sheet metal, flat upon its face, its two edges turnedover to form a U-shaped flange, b, at These flanges extend downwardlittle more than the length of the needles or articles which are tobeintroduced, and below that point the metal is bent to bring it into aplane with the face of the flanges b, as seen at (Z, Fig. 4; and so thatthe case B, laid upon the plate A, the part below the bend d of the casewill lie substantially upon the surface of the base A, and the twounited by a pivot, preferably a hollow rivet, e, and so that the onepartmay be turned upon the other, as from the po sition seen in Fig. 1 tothat seen in broken lines, same figure. The upper flanged end of thebase is inclined toward one side, and the case correspondingly inclined,and so that when the two stand together, as in Fig. 1, the upper end ofthe case will be inclosed by the flange a, the inclination permittingthe one part to be readily turned from the other without interference. 1

Into the case B a plate, D, is introduced be tween the two flangedsides, and so as to move freely within said flanges as guides. The in-'ner surface of this plate D that is between the plate D and the innersurface of the casecarries a fibrous material, E, preferably a piece ofsoft felt,which is made fast to the plate D, and so as to move with it.The plate D is constructed with a transverse slot, f, near its lowerend, and may be more or less inclined, as shown,and on the base A is astud, 71-, which works in said slot, the position of the said stud withrelation to said slot being such that when the parts are closed, as inFig. 1, the stud stands at or near one end of the slot, as seen in Fig.5. In this condition the plate D is down. Now, if the case be turned onits pivot and away from the plate, as seen in broken lines, Fig. 1, thestud h-inoves in the arc of a circle of which the pivot e is the center,and in such position the stud working in the slot f raises the plate D,as seen in broken lines, Fig. 5, and when the parts are returned intotheir closed condition, the stud It returns in the slot, and draws theplate D down.

The needles areintroduced into the cushionlike surface on the plate Dwhen the case is open, and their ends left standing slightly above theopen end of the case, as seen in Fig. 6. Then, in closing the ease, theplate D, being drawn down, as before described, carries with it theneedles'until their ends pass below the upper end of the case. Then thecase enters within the flange a,and intoits closed position. Then,whenthe case is open,the plate B moves outward, as before described, andpresents the ends of the needles.

This device may be attached permanently to the table by inserting ascrew or other device through the hollow rivet, which will hold ittachment being made upon the under side of the table near its edge, orupon the inner side of the front of the drawer near the top, theoperator may readily turn the case from its position and expose theneedles, or open the case for the insertion of others, and then returnthe case to close it, or the device itselfas a needlecase, detached, isa great convenience both as to presenting the needles and keeping themfrom injury, the felt itself being a protection against rust.

It will be readily seen that this device is applicable to other usesthan sewing-machine needles.

Instead of making the slot f in the plate and arranging the stud h onthe base, the slot may be in the base and the stud on the plate, an daccomplish the same result.

While I prefer to construct thebase with the projecting flange a to forma cap for the open end of the case, this may be omitted, and while Iprefer to form the flanges b b on the case as guides for the plate B,other guides may be sub-' stituted, it only being essential that theplate D shall have guides to retain it in its proper relative position,and so constructed that the turning of the case upon its pivot impartsto the plate D a longitudinal movement.

I claim-'- I at 1. The. combination of the base A, the case B, pivotedthereto, the sliding plate D,within said case, the said plate and baseconstructed, the one with a transverse slot and the other .with acorresponding stud, whereby the turning of the said case upon its pivotimparts to said plate a longitudinal movement, substantially asdescribed. V i

2. The combination of the base A, constructed with the flange a at oneend, the case B, pivoted to saidplate at its opposite end, thesliding-plate D,within said case, the said plate and base constructed,the one with a transverse slot and the other with a corresponding stud,whereby the turning of said case upon its pivot imparts a longitudinalmovement to said plate,

said flange a forming a cap for the open end of the case in its closedposition, substantially as described.

7 3. The combination of the base A, the case B, pivoted thereto, thesliding plate D,within said case, the said plate and base constructed,the one with a transverse slot and the other with a corresponding-stud,whereby the turning of the saidcase upon its pivot imparts to said platea longitudinal movement, the inner side of said plate D provided with acushion, E,'substantially as and for the purpose described.

' JOSEPH S. SACKETT. \Vitnesses:

JOHN E. EARLE, J. H. SHUMWAY.

